Sins of Love
by The Ben Who Must Not Be Named
Summary: A mysterious demon doesn't like love. So, he decides to play a game with a certain future love goddess and her boyfriend. Same universe as my Kittystair fic. Currently T, but subject to change.
1. Prologue: Ordinary

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Ben's Note of Sheer Benliness: Ok, so Ben had an idea after reading a fanfic (which recently turned M, unfortunately.) Anywho, basically, I was thinking it over… and I was just stuck on the main plot point: how far would you go to save someone you loved? And thus, this! I figured Kittystair is great… but I needed to focus on another couple. So, Cupid/Dexter!**

 **Now then, this takes place sometime during the recovery arc in my Kittystair story. (I know, same universe, multiple plot lines that branch off of each other. Cray-cray!) Dexter and Cupid are together at this point, as mentioned in the other fic. Now then, let's get started!**

 **Prologue: Ordinary**

It was an ordinary day for Cupid and Dexter. Cupid stood by Dexter's locker while Dexter seemed to be chatting away. However, Cupid did seem to be paying much attention. Instead, she seemed to be dreamily staring at Dexter.

"Cupid? Hello?"

"Huh, what?! I'm paying attention!" Cupid said, jumping into alert mood. Dexter chuckled while Cupid blushed embarrassed. "Sorry… I was just admiring how you look," she said, going a deeper shade of red.

Dexter smiled and kissed his girlfriend. "It's alright," he said. "I do that to you sometimes too." Cupid blushed an even deeper shade of red, making Dexter chuckle even more. "Seriously, you are the best girlfriend ever."

"Well… you're the best boyfriend ever," Cupid said blushing even more.

Dexter simply shrugged. "Eh, I'm just a simple guy who screws up a lot," he said. "I'd hardly call that being a good boyfriend."

"Pfft, are you kidding? You always make me feel warm inside, Dexty. Because I love you," she said. Dexter smirked, making Cupid blush. "What?"

"I knew that. I just wanted to hear you say it again," he said and kissed her. "I love you too Cupid."

"Ooo! Are we ditching making out in private now!" Maddie said, randomly appearing from nowhere. Cupid and Dexter quickly pulled apart and they both blushed. Maddie continued to grin. "I see how it is. Let me know when the gushy romance stuff continues," she said and slowly began to move away.

Cupid and Dexter shared a look. "Where the heck did she come from?" Cupid asked.

"No idea… she's mad," Dexter shrugged.

A while later, Dexter sighed as he entered his dorm room. A perfect, ordinary day. Great grades, Cupid was his girlfriend, and simply nothing else got in his way. He'd be willing to bet that the day was a complete success.

Dexter was about to go get ready for bed when he noticed something on his desk. Curious, he walked over to it to find it was a note. He cocked his head and read over it. It read as follows:

 _Dexter,_

 _You and Cupid interest me. You may not know me… but I know you. Quite well, actually. You're Cupid's boyfriend. I know Cupid well. But enough of that… the point. I found that your love is binding, greater than everything else in the world…_

 _I want it crushed._

 _For you see, I feed on the hate of the world. The blackness, the wretched self-hate, and the pain. All of it allows me to live and continue living. This love… is tearing me apart from the inside. Therefore… it must end. To do so… I'm going to kill her._

Dexter froze at that point of the note. Who the heck was this guy? And… why was he targeting him and Cupid? This couldn't be happening…

 _However, I'm a fair man. I want to see how far you would go to save her. And therefore… I devised a little test. Seven tests. You see, love is great… but sin is greater. Seven sins, seven trials. Is love greater? I doubt it is, but I'll allow you to try._

 _Quite simple: I have seven hearts. Every trial is connected to my heart. Complete a trial, one heart dies. Complete all seven, I die, and you're free to live your life with Cupid._

 _However…_ fail _a trial… and one of_ Cupid's _hearts goes. And last I checked, she only had one. More reason not to fail a trial, now isn't it?_

 _I'll give you till tomorrow to answer. Simply say you are ready. I'll know what your answer is. I'll be waiting eagerly._

 _Sincerely,_

 _The Witchdoctor_

 _P.S. Tell anyone, including her, and she's dead._

Dexter stood reading and rereading the letter. The Witchdoctor. He wasn't any fairy tale Dexter knew… but he didn't seem like a very good guy. Dexter looked at the note again.

The Witchdoctor threatened to kill Cupid.

Dexter had to endure seven trials to save her.

If Dexter failed, Cupid died anyway.

Dexter looked at the note and nodded. He knew what he had to do.

Cupid yelped as she heard a knock on her door. She shoved something inside a drawer as she looked at the door to see Dexter walk inside. She offered him a fake smile. "Hey Dexter," she said nervously. "What's up?"

"I just… needed to ask you something," Dexter said. "If… something came up… and I had to risk it all to do something important, would you trust me that everything would be ok?"

Cupid looked into Dexter's eyes. If Dexter wasn't mistaken, she looked older than she was inside her eyes. He wondered if he looked the same, after reading what he just read.

Cupid smiled, a tear falling from her eye. "I trust you Dexty," she said. "I trust you with my life if… you trust me with yours."

Dexter offered her a sad smile. "Of course Cupid. I trust you more than anyone," he said. "I just needed to know. I'll see you later."

Dexter left her room, leaving Cupid alone. Cupid waited a moment before pulling out a scrap of paper, the one she stuffed in the draw earlier.

 _Cupid,_

 _I do believe you know me, my dear. You may not remember me, as you were a baby… but I certainly remember you. And guess what? You sicken my existence. Therefore… I'm going to get you back for tormenting me for existing. By killing Dexter._

 _I feel as though this will get back at you for haunting me. Murder the one you love. You_ are _the_ adopted _daughter of the love god, correct? I figure this would hurt you more than anything._

 _I'm not totally heartless though. I'm willing to give you a chance to save your boyfriend Cupid. You must pass seven trials for the seven sins. Love is lesser than sin. Here's the deal: pass a trial, one of my seven hearts dies. Pass all seven, I die, and you can live your life with Dexter without me bothering you._

 _Fail a trial, however, and one of Dexter's hearts dies. He only has one, so I suggest you don't fail._

 _I'll give you till tomorrow to decide if Dexter dies by my hand or not. Just say you wish to begin, and you shall. I'll hear you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _The Witchdoctor_

Cupid didn't know who this person was, or why he was threating her. But she knew one thing that Dexter just confirmed. She and Dexter both looked up and nodded. "I have to save him/her," they said at the same time.

 **BN: There we go! I know it's pretty dark, but I know how not to go over the M rating. Maybe. For now, it's T. Just a warning, I don't know if it'll get worse. But still, it'll be cute! Dark, but cute! Just be wary, mmkay?**

 **Like? Hate? Meh? Let me know via review!**


	2. Dexter: Trial 1- Gluttony

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Ben's Note of Sheer Awesome: Hey guys! So, here's how this is going to work. Each trial for both Dexter and Cupid is different. I figure the trials are set differently for each person. They're also in a different order, seeing as though some people fall under one sin more than others. So, we're going to switch back and forth between the two. They're happening at the same time… but they branch off differently. We'll start off with Dexter, then switch to Cupid, and then have a break in-between before we repeat.**

 **Also, be forewarned. It's T now. It might be T until the end. However, the rating MIGHT change. I prefer to keep my stories T… but the way I want this, it could change. Let me know what you think if I start getting too dark for the T rating.**

 **Dexter: Trial 1- The Famine of Gluttony**

Dexter took a breath. This was it. He wanted Cupid safe, and without knowing who this Witchdoctor was, he knew that passing the trials was the only way he could do it. He took a breath and looked at the letter.

"You're sick," he muttered. "But I can't let you kill her. She's the love of my life, and I'm not going to just sit back and let you take her away from me. Bring on the trials."

A chuckle inside Dexter's head could be heard. Before Dexter could say anything, a flash of white appeared. Dexter blinked in surprise and covered his eyes. When the white disappeared, Dexter opened his eyes. He was still in his dorm room, but it seemed greyer. Dexter looked around. Everything seemed normal.

Except for a white note hanging on the door.

Dexter raised an eyebrow and walked over to it. He grabbed the note and looked it over. It was the same handwriting of that of the Witchdoctor, which Dexter assumed meant he wrote the note. It read as follows:

 _I see you decided to play my little game. Such fun! Alright then, the first trial begins now. You are currently in a parallel universe to your own. Anything you do now will not affect the actual world you came from and once you leave, when you return, it'll reset. No time will pass in the original while you are gone._

 _Each time you come, the trial will be obvious, but I will tell you what you must do anyway. This time, you must pass the Trial of Gluttony. In this land, there is limited food. Thereby, I give you a choice. A copy of Cupid is here. You either give her your food… or eat it yourself for three days._

 _It seems like a trick. This is the Trial of Gluttony, after all. You may think I want you to eat it. However, you are no glutton. You don't overeat. Therefore… do you starve and overcome gluttony for three days? Or do you become the glutton and eat it all? Your choice Dexter._

 _The only way you can fail is if you cheat. How do you cheat? You give Cupid some rations one day, and eat the next. One or the other, not both._

 _Now, I'm not heartless. If you wish to surrender, under your bed there is a stash of food. If you chose to give up and have me kill the real Cupid instead of starving or overeating, then you may eat something from that stash. I'll leave a note three days' time._

 _The Witchdoctor_

Dexter read the note carefully to make sure he understood. It seemed as though the Witchdoctor found two ways to play this. Either he eats his own food, only to have Cupid starve to death. Or, he could give Cupid his food, only for him to starve to death. Either way, one of them would die.

Dexter, however, knew a fallback. He knew what he would do, without the fallback, but with it he felt even more certain. _You think you have this won Witchdoctor?_ Dexter asked. _Think again_.

On the first day, Dexter went down to the Castleteria to get his rations, which weren't much. Only two pieces of dried bread. Dexter, after receiving the bread, found Cupid quickly and walked over to her with a smile.

Cupid noticed her boyfriend and gave him a weak smile. Dexter winced. Cupid was thin. Thinner than she should have been. Dexter felt a pain in his gut, looking at his girlfriend at such a saddened state.

"Hey Cupid. You holding up?" he asked her.

Cupid nodded. "Yeah… I'm hungry… but so is everyone. I just… I wish it wasn't like this day by day. Can you imagine a world where we're well fed? I wish something like that existed."

Dexter wished he could tell her that this wasn't real. He wished he could let her know that she would be ok, that she could be fed. But he didn't want to risk the Witchdoctor killing the real Cupid. All Dexter could do was smile.

"I wish the world was ok too," he said. "But so long as I have you… I can endure the pain."

Cupid weakly smiled again and feebly ate the last bit of her ration. Cupid sighed once it was gone, making the pain in Dexter to grow again. He grabbed his bread…

…and pushed it over to Cupid. Cupid's eyes widened at the action and looked up at Dexter. "Dexty, don't. You need to eat to," she said.

"It's ok. You need the strength," he said. Cupid was about to protest, but Dexter shook his head. "No Cupid. You need it. Please… eat it."

Cupid stared at Dexter's bread, starting to cry. Almost reluctantly, she started to eat it. The pain Dexter felt in seeing Cupid like that still hurt, but he knew she would be ok. She was worth it.

The second day was when he started feeling the effects of not eating. He was hungry and longed for food. However, he thought of this version of Cupid whenever he thought of giving up. He was hungry… but she was starving. That kept Dexter going, despite how hungry he got.

The second time (they only got rations once a day), Cupid blatantly refused Dexter's rations. "Dexter, I'm starving… but you need to eat too. Please eat," she said desperately.

Dexter looked at her, his eyes tired, but a smile on his face. "Cupid, I'm fine," he said. "I'm hungry… but you're starving. I need you to eat. I'll be fine, ok?"

Cupid looked at him desperately, but she saw he was firm. So, reluctantly, Cupid ate his rations of the second day. Dexter noticed she was stronger… but still deathly thin.

The third day was worse. Dexter was food deprived, yes, but Cupid kept him going. He needed to get her fed. He had to. He hated seeing her so desperate.

Cupid was crying when he passed his third set of rations over to her. She looked at the two loaves of bread, then her boyfriend. And she leaped across the table and hugged him. "I love you," she sobbed in his ear. "Please don't die because of me…"

Dexter smiled and hugged her. "I won't," he said. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Cupid still crying into him. "Cupid… stay in my dorm tonight, ok? I don't want to be alone." Cupid nodded, her face still buried in his shirt.

On the fourth day, Dexter's eyes slowly came open. He was dying of hunger at this point. He was already thin, but starving himself made things worse. Dexter looked over at Cupid, who was lying by his side. He did it. Three days of rations were hers.

A note was lying next to Cupid, which Dexter noticed. He reached over and grabbed it. It read as follows:

 _I see you chose to save Cupid over yourself. Interesting. I expected this from Cupid, not you. Then again, I know Cupid. You? Not so much. However, you chose to give your rations to Cupid instead of eating them yourself._

 _However, thing is, Cupid in this universe will still die. She'll reset in the next trial, of course, but despite giving her everything, she's doomed. I'm a nice guy though. I'll let you watch her die. That'll be fun, won't it?_

 _The Witchdoctor_

Dexter paled. No… he didn't starve himself three days to let him watch his girlfriend die. He wouldn't let that happen. He wracked his brain. There had to be _something_ he could do. He looked at the thin Cupid, smiling in her sleep.

A thought entered his head. It was risky… but the note said _him_. Not Cupid. _Him_. Dexter got out of bed, and looked under his bed. He reached under and grasped something. Cupid stirred and looked over the bed.

"Dexter? What are you doing?" she asked with a yawn. She gasped as Dexter pulled out a loaf of bread from under his bed and set it in front of her. "Dexter! Where did you get this?!"

"Doesn't matter," he said. "Cupid, I need you to eat this."

"But…"

"Cupid, you're dying! You're starving, hungry, and I can't see you like this! Forget me dying of hunger, I'm dying seeing you in so much pain and hunger. Please… eat the bread," he said desperately. Cupid looked at him, tears in her eyes, and nodded. She grabbed the bread…

…and suddenly, Dexter was surrounded by black nothingness. Dexter frowned, confused. "What's this all about?" he said. "I didn't forfeit Witchdoctor! You said _I_ couldn't eat it! I'm not going to let Cupid die in front of me!"

Suddenly, someone else appeared with Dexter in the darkness. He was a well-built man, wearing wooden armor on his wrists and feet. His chest was covered with wood as well. He wore a belt with a lion face on it.

His head, however, was most noticeable. It was a lion mask that seemed to be alive. It's main and tendrils of darkness coming off of him. There were seven different colored circles on his body. An orange circle on his left shoulder, an indigo on his right, a yellow one on the left of his hip, a purple one on his right, a red one on his left eye, a blue one on his right, and the last one was a green one on his chest. A spear pierced his left shoulder, right through the orange circle.

"I admit, you are unlike what I expected Dexter," he said in an airy voice. "I expected you to follow a much different path than you did."

Dexter looked at the figure carefully. "Are you the Witchdoctor?" he asked.

The figure cackled. "Observant," he said. "Yes, indeed, I am the Witchdoctor. And I have to say, you passed that trial with great ease and have destroyed one seventh of my soul. You… intrigue me."

"I'm doing this to save Cupid. Not your amusement," Dexter said.

"Ah yes, _Cupid_ ," the Witchdoctor said in disgust. "You saved her once… but you won't do it again. I quite _hate_ that girl for existing. Granted, it's partly my fault, but she will suffer."

Dexter raised an eyebrow. "Why do you have something against Cupid?" he asked. The Witchdoctor eyed Dexter carefully before nodding.

"I think you deserve a reward for every trial you pass. Therefore, one question every time we meet," he said. "I hate Cupid because she ruined me. She was adopted by another family and turned her _good._ That's not the work of a demon, love isn't. I hate her for being something she shouldn't."

Dexter scowled. "Wait, are you saying…"

"Nope. One question per trial," the Witchdoctor waved. "You have a day break before the next trial. You will return to your time right when you left. Keep surprising me Dexter."

The Witchdoctor snapped his fingers and a white flash of light appeared. Dexter blinked and he was suddenly back in his normal room. Dexter sighed in relief and rubbed his stomach. He was starving. He winced. No. He wasn't ever going to use that word again.

Not after seeing Cupid starve almost to death.

 **BN: And there we have it! Dexter's first trial is over. Now, I want you to keep in mind this was the** _ **easiest**_ **one. The trials get worse as the sin pertains more to the character. For instance, Gluttony, too, is the sin that affects me the least. However, if I were doing the trials, the hardest sin for me would be lust. Make sense? It's ok if it doesn't, it'll make sense as the story goes on.**

 **Next up is Cupid's first trial. Remember, the order of Cupid's sins won't be the order of Dexter's. The same sin will never happen for both characters at the same time. Also, the next chapter takes place the same time as this one, mmkay?**

 **Like? Hate? Meh? Let me know via review!**


	3. Cupid: Trial 1- Sloth

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Ben Note of Benliness: Ok, so there are two plotlines I can't get out of my head. This one, and another one where the main character's love interest dies, so he has to go into a time loop, account for everything, and save his girlfriend from dying. That second one is something I WOULD write if it wasn't so cheesing depressing in having to write the girl die every chapter. Yeesh, that life must be sad.**

 **Anyway, aside from my constantly depressing life, glad to see this story is kicking off. Again, this is experimenting with a plot that is supposed to be M and trying to keep it T rated. It is what it is, but still, I'll try my best in keeping it uplifting. This is Cupid's first trial, so let's see how she fairs compared to Dexter, shall we?**

 **Cupid: Trial 1- Sloth**

Cupid took a deep breath and looked up. Dexter was her focus. She had to do this for him. She couldn't just let him die. "I'm ready," she said shakily. She could have sworn she heard a grunt of disapproval before a white flash blinded her.

When she regained her sight, she was still in her room, but it was a dull shade of grey. Cupid looked around and spotted a note tacked to the wall. Curious, she went and grabbed it. It read as follows:

 _So, you decided to play my little game? Pity. I would have rathered you turned dark and killed the one you 'loved'. Sweet irony right there. But whatever, I gave you a chance, so you may fulfill it. You are currently in an alternate universe which will reset every time you arrive. No time shall pass from your universe, and nothing you do here effects the original._

 _You're first trial is that of Sloth. You work so hard, always keeping up with your job of making sure everyone finds true love and happiness. You work and work. Therefore… your trial is to do nothing._

 _Oh, but you must watch. Watch as all the relationships fail before your eyes. Break-up after break-up will occur Cupid. And guess what? You can't lift a finger to or say a word to help them. No matter how much they beg for your help. You can't do a thing. For, let's say… three days._

 _Of course, you may easily forfeit by giving someone love advice. Of course, Dexter will die. You don't want that, do you? Of course you don't. So sit back, relax. And watch as you can do nothing to help your friends._

 _The Witchdoctor_

Cupid reread the letter and nodded with a tear. Ok, so this world was going to explode with hate and love would die. It wasn't real, only a figment of what happens so that she could suffer the trial. Easy.

Cupid soon found it wasn't easy.

The moment she left her dorm, she saw trouble with Blondie and Sparrow. They were arguing quite loudly as they walked pass, and Cupid winced. She wanted to ask what's wrong to help… but she knew the trial was more important. So, reluctantly, she walked in the other direction.

She managed to avoid any couples until dinner. She was sitting alone, eating her meal, when she noticed Hunter and Ashlynn yelling at each other furiously. It looked so bad that it looked like they were going to get into a major brawl.

Cupid so desperately wanted to leap from her seat. This wasn't right. No couple should come to fists with each other. She knew how to handle this situation, how to rekindle their love for each other…

… and yet all she could do was sit and wait.

And listen.

"I _hate_ you Hunter Huntsman!"

"I _despise_ you Ashlynn Ella!"

" _I wish you never even existed!"_

The words crashed down on Cupid's ears. No. No. She couldn't stand aside like this. The hate couldn't tear people apart… she knew they loved each other. They had to stay together. They had to…

… Ashlynn punched Hunter square in the jaw.

Hunter punched back.

The crack was so loud Cupid's tears burst the second it was heard.

The second day was worse. Cupid knew Ashlynn was in the hospital with a broken jaw. All because she couldn't tell them what to do. All because she let the fight escalate.

Because she wasn't allowed to do anything.

More and more couples fought angrily, each time getting worse than the next. Sparrow kicked Blondie out a window because he was annoyed. Hopper nearly drowned Briar because she insulted his frog heritage on accident. Kitty set Alistair's hair on fire. (Cupid wasn't really sure if Kitty had a reason.)

Break up after break up happened, and it all came crashing down around her. Everyone came to her for advice, how to rekindle their relationship. Cupid, tears every time, had to say she wasn't up to helping people. She hated turning them away. She loved them all, and she only wanted them all to love each other.

But what else could she do?

The third day wasn't as bad. Because Cupid found Dexter. Apparently, despite all the strife and hatred, Cupid's relationship with Dexter was solid. She was eating lunch on the third day, pained extremely by what was happening around her, when Dexter sat next to her.

"Sorry I haven't been around for the past few days," Dexter said apologetically. "I've had a few things to deal with. How have you been holding up?"

Cupid gave him a weak smile. "Badly," she said. "The entire school is built on hate now, and I can't do anything about it. I hate sitting around and doing nothing… but I have no choice."

Dexter gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure you'll figure something out. You always do. You _are_ the next goddess of love, after all."

Cupid smiled at him and gave him a hug. "Thanks Dexy," she said. "I needed to hear that from you. Everything is crashing around me lately… I'm glad you're here to be my rock."

Dexter smiled and hugged her back. "Anything for my girl," he said.

Cupid woke up the next day with a smile. That was it. Three days, and she hadn't done a thing. It hurt, and she was going to make sure to work overtime when she got back… but she did it. Cupid sat up and yawned. In doing so, she noticed a note lying next to her. It read as follows:

 _You slipped on by, didn't you? You watched the pain of your friends and the hatred boil. Good. This is what you_ should _be. But no, you ended up being a love goddess. Shows how cruel fate really is, isn't it?_

 _Not doing anything for those you care about hurts, doesn't it? That hurt will rest in you forever. Haunt you till the day you die. And guess what? I have money on it that you'll die very soon._

 _Despite what you may think, this trial is not over. You sat by, watching your friends break each other's hearts, and in the end, that broke you into pieces. But what if the one person you gave your heart to… snaps it in half? And you did nothing._

 _Wouldn't that be a wonderful sight to see?_

 _The Witchdoctor_

Cupid blinked back her tears. She knew what he wanted. He was sick… but he was clear. So when the knock came at her door, she stood up, wiped away her tears, and opened it. Dexter stood there, looking down at her with cold eyes.

"I hate you Cupid."

Cupid said nothing.

"You sicken me."

Cupid remained silent.

"I wish I never knew you."

Nothing.

"I want to kill you."

Tears, but silence.

 _ **CRACK!**_

"We're done."

Cupid laid on the floor, grasping her side, sobbing. Her rib was broken, she was sure of it. Cupid sobbed, unable to think of her next move. That wasn't the real Dexter… but that didn't make it hurt any less.

The area around her went completely dark. Cupid sobbed a little more, but slowly got up. She gasped in pain as she stood, but wobbled so she wasn't in too much agony. She looked around the black expanse to see a wooden table.

She stumbled over to it to see a collection of hearts was sitting on top. Seven were the total, each one the color of the rainbow in the order they formed. The indigo heart had a spear sticking through the heart and the table. A note laid next to it.

 _You got one. But think of it like this: the world naturally has no one do anything to stop love from breaking a part. Do you really think doing something will make a difference? I doubt you ever will. You have a day break before the next trial. Think of dark things._

 _Witchdoctor_

As the white enveloped Cupid, she sobbed loudly in pain and sorrow.

 **BN: Yeah… this was my make or break one. Cupid's trials will be infinitely more difficult than Dexter's. And to think… this one was the easiest. Unlike Dexter, her trials don't have a set order, as Cupid can be molded in a lot of different ways depending on how you look at her character. However, Sloth was last on the list, seeing she was a hard worker. Even then, it was personalized so that the trial was a lot harder than you might think.**

 **Also, I wanted to show something else. When the next trial rolls around, see if you can spot a pattern in how the Witchdoctor interacts with Dexter, and then compare it to how he interacts with Cupid. You might find it quite fascinating in how I'm doing this.**

 **Like? Hate? Meh? Let me know via review!**


	4. Break 1

**Disclaimer: I own zilch.**

 **Ben's Note of Sheer Benliness: Hey guys, here's another chapter! I think I know where my flashdrive is, so I think I might be able to update Kittystair tomorrow, depending on how things go. Anywhere, more important, here's more of Dexter and Cupid! Sad day, since I read through Wikipedia… Dexter/Raven is canon! WHY?! This is so much cuter. Anyway, here we have the first break chapter. You may notice something interesting when you read this. Anyway, carry on!**

 **Break 1**

Cupid and Dexter were sitting next to each other in silence in the castlteria. Cupid was due to go take care of Kitty in about an hour, so they decided to spend the time they had together. Dexter had piled up a huge stack of any type of food he could find and ate it. Cupid raised an eyebrow.

"Well, aren't you hungry today," Cupid said with a chuckle.

Dexter shrugged. "I'm a growing boy who's already skinny as it is. I'm hungry!" Cupid and Dexter laughed and fell silent again. Dexter ate a bit more whilst thinking about things.

 _So the Witchdoctor seems to know Cupid,_ he thought, _and for some reason, he feels offended by something Cupid did in the past. Once I pass the next trial, I need to ask him something that'll help me figure more about this out._

Cupid looked over Dexter and sighed inwardly. _He has no idea he's in danger,_ she thought. _I guess I just have to love him twice as much, showing him that I care, even if I feel._

"Hey Dexy?"

"Yes Cupid?"

"Are we ok? Love wise? I mean, I try my hardest to give you everything I can give you, and I don't want you to feel like you're doing everything. I love you Dexy… and I want to know if you know that."

Dexter blinked at the question. "Of course!" he said. "Cupid, listen. I would risk everything I have to make sure that you were to continue in this life. I love you too Cupid, and I know you love me because I know you'd want me to survive to."

Cupid nodded, giving him a small smile. _I have to remember he didn't break up with me_ , Cupid said. _That was alternate universe Dexter. This Dexter is devoted and loves me. And if we fight… I can work things out this time._

"Oh! Hey, Dexter, I almost forgot about Kitty," Cupid said suddenly, standing up. "I have to go talk to her about something and pick her up. See you later?"

Dexter offered her a smile. "Sure thing. See you Cute-pid." Cupid blushed furiously and quickly made her way out of the castleteria. Dexter looked after her and sighed.

"She's not starving," he said. "She's not suffering. That wasn't this Cupid. But… I don't love her any less. It's relieving she's healthy in this universe and I don't have to worry about her starving."

Dexter shrugged and stood up. However, underneath his tray, he felt a wrinkled piece of paper. Curious, Dexter pulled it up and held it in front of his face. It read as follows:

 _She may not starve to death, but she will die. You seem to forget you have six more sins Dexter. I'm not a pushover. Cupid will die by the end of this week. I swear it on my life._

 _Witchdoctor_

Dexter scowled and crumpled up the note. "You want to gloat now, do you?" he said. "Fine. Tomorrow, give me something challenging. Because I don't think you thought this through very well."

Meanwhile, Cupid had picked up Kitty from Hunter and was walking her to Headmaster Grimm's office. She didn't know why she needed to do this, but she felt glad to. They walked in silence for a moment before Cupid spoke.

"Alistair loves you," Cupid said. Kitty seemed to tense off, making Cupid give her a sympathetic smile. She knew the couple hit a rough patch. But she knew she could help. "He's not going to give up on you."

Kitty was silent before nodding. "I… know…" she said. "But… Alistair must… hate me for… almost…"

"Hey, hey, hey," Cupid shushed. "It's ok. He doesn't hate you. He still loves you, deep down. You need to make things up with him. Not only will you get better… but so will he."

They walked in silence, but she nodded with a small smile on her face. Cupid smiled back and continued down the hall. The Witchdoctor might have torn her apart by making her do nothing… but here, she knew she was able to change things. For the better.

 **BN: Not my best, but hey, the break chapters won't be the best ones of the story. I hope you liked it! I should get Dexter's next trial out tomorrow at the lastest, so stay tuned!**

 **Like? Hate? Meh? Let me know via review!**


	5. Dexter: Trial 2- Sloth

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Ben's Note of Sheer Benliness: Hi! I'm back people! So, like I said in one of my EAH fics, Dexpid isn't a canon ship anymore. BUT, despite all that, Dexpid** _ **is**_ **my OTP. (Next to Kittystair, of course.) Therefore, screw canon, we're going Benon on this. Anyway, here's the next trial chapter. This one is, again, that of Dexter and this is the next day after the break.**

 **Also, I have a random speal about Dizzie. To be completely honest, it's cute. Plus, it makes sense, looking at TV Tropes. Daring was told he was going to marry someone with skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and** _ **ebony**_ **hair. I mean, come on! However, Darise is my main ship, and Bizzie is my crack ship. (Ben/Lizzie). But enough of me, let's get on to Dexter!**

 **Dexter: Trial 2-Sloth**

Dexter's eyes opened. He was in his room, still hungry from the last trial. He blinked again and took a breath. The Witchdoctor was due for another trial that morning. He may be hungry, but he had to be prepared.

"Alright Witchdoctor. Hit me with your best shot," Dexter grumbled.

A chuckle was heard inside Dexter's mind before all he saw was complete white. He blinked a few times before his vision returned to normal. The grey hue was over his eyes again, which he expected. Sure enough, once he stood, he spotted a note hanging on the door. He briskly went over to it and read over it. It said:

 _You're intriguing me more and more Dexter. You're hungry, and yet, you continue to pursue the life of Cupid. I've never been so surprised by someone's actions before in my life. So, I shall indeed make this one more difficult._

 _You've shown that you are willing to work hard for Cupid's life. Therefore, the next trial will be based off the sin of sloth. Like the last trial, I'm going to give you a choice. You've worked hard in maintaining your relationship with Cupid while also maintaining the Mirror Network._

 _For the trial, you may only handle one. You can make sure everyone in the student body is happy with the Mirror Network, but you must break up with Cupid. Alternately, you can instead chose to let the Mirror Network fail. Humphrey does not exist in this dimension, so only you know how to fix it. It is currently destroyed right now._

 _You can forfeit this trial any time by fixing the Mirror Network. You must last until I feel like you've suffered enough. Probably three days. I'll be seeing you then._

 _The Witchdoctor_

Dexter read through the trial again, making sure that he understood every aspect of what he was supposed to do. He nodded with a smile. Tough? No brainer.

"Hey Cupid."

"Oh, hey Dexter," Cupid said with a smile. Dexter was relieved that this Cupid was well fed. He didn't think he'd have been able to handle seeing her so thin and weak again. "I hear that the Mirror Network's still down. You any closer to figuring out how to fix it?"

Dexter shook his head. He had figured out that the residents of this universe had been living without the Mirror Network for over three years. Dexter had been studying how to fix it and was coming close to figuring it out. Now that Dexter from the original universe was there, he pretty much knew how to fix it.

"Sorry Cupid, but it's no use. I can't figure out how to fix it," Dexter lied.

Cupid gave him a sympathetic smile. "Well, its ok," she said. "You've been trying to crack it for years. All you have to do is keep trying."

Dexter winced. He _couldn't_ keep trying. There was no way he could pass the trial _and_ save the residents without breaking up with Cupid. And he wasn't going to dump Cupid. Never. He was truly stuck… Hold on.

"Actually," he said, rubbing his chin. "I have an idea. Mind coming with me to check out the circuits Cupid?"

Cupid's eyes widened. "Why me? I'm not technical with tech stuff," she said.

Dexter smirked. "Trust me, I need your hands," Dexter said. "I think there's a way to solve this."

"Screw this in?"

"Yeah. After that, you have to flip that switch within two seconds of screwing it in. You think you can do it yourself?"

"Yeah… I can."

"Alright, whenever you're ready."

Cupid took a deep breath, eyeing the panel she had to fix. Quickly, she screwed in the screw she needed to screw in and flipped the switch almost at once. The second she did, the section of the board she was working on lit up with a flash.

Cupid flashed Dexter a smile. "Is it working?" she asked.

"You got up part of it," he said, inspecting her work. "We actually only have one last section of the board, and it's not as time sensitive. Once you get that done, we'll be golden."

Cupid smiled and walked up to her boyfriend. She embraced him in a hug. "I can't believe I'm going to say this… but I'm having fun," she said. "I didn't think I would, but… you've shown me I can be more than what I think I can be. Thanks Dexy."

Dexter blushed. "No, uh… problem," he said.

As far as he was aware, this was working. Dexter had figured if he couldn't fix the Network himself… he'd use his brain to have _Cupid_ fix it for him. He knew how to do it… but she was skilled enough to follow his instructions exactly.

Cupid wandered over to the last section right when Dexter spotted a note. Curious, Dexter walked over and picked it up. It read:

 _You think you're so clever Dexter? You aren't. Because what I'm about to do right now is simple. And you aren't allowed to do anything._

 _The Witchdoctor_

Dexter scowled at the small note. What was he about to do? It wasn't specific in the slightest. However, he soon found out. Something seemed to explode behind him.

And Cupid screamed in pain.

"You sick demon," he growled. "Cupid! Are you ok?!"

"Dex…ter…" he heard her moan. Dexter didn't want to turn around. He didn't want to see her in pain. He didn't want to be helpless again. If he helped her now, he'd lose her in real life…

"Cupid, I'm not going to turn around, but you need to answer my questions and focus on me," he said. "Are you burned?"

"Yes…"

"Where?"

"Everywhere…"

"Ok, listen closely. I'm not allowed to help you. Don't ask, please just do as I say and you'll be fine. The panel that blew up has circuitry with healing abilities. Are all the wirse connected to some type of circuit?"

"No… blue wires and white wires…"

"Connect the blue wires to the top circuit and the white to the left. After that, there's a green switch. Flip that switch and it'll save you."

"I… can't…"

"You _can_ Cupid! I can't help you, so you need to do it yourself. Please… I love you… you need to do this."

Dexter waited for a reply, but got none. He waited for what felt like days to him. He waited for a sign that she was ok. After about a year in Dexter's head, he turned around.

Only to see that the world had gone black. Before him, the Witchdoctor stood. A spear had impaled the indigo circle on his right shoulder. The Witchdoctor looked at Dexter, perplexed.

"You intrigue me Dexter," he said. "I tell you to suffer… but you find a way to turn the trial into your favor. Instead of letting Cupid suffer because of your laziness… you turn your laziness into a tool to help others grow. Fascinating."

"Glad I can keep you occupied," Dexter muttered.

"Indeed, I've never been this entertained by something so trivial," the Witchdoctor agreed. "You've earned another question. Ask away."

Dexter thought about the answer he got last time and decided to expand on it. "Did you know Cupid before she was adopted? When she was little?" Dexter asked.

The Wicthdoctor took a moment to find a way to answer that. "You could say I knew her before she was born," he said. "She was supposed to be the goddess of hate and destruction. She was destined to follow her birth mother and father as a murderer. She should have been the most evil person alive. Yes, I knew her. But she didn't become what she was supposed to."

Dexter was shocked to hear this, especially knowing Cupid now. The future goddess of love… was originally going to be the goddess of hate? Something about all of this was fishy… and he knew the Witchdoctor was in the center of it. He needed to ask more questions…

…and he knew he needed more trials to get those questions. "I guess I can only wait until tomorrow to figure out more," Dexter said.

"Indeed. Five trials left Dexter. You've surprised me so far… but not for much longer." The Witchdoctor snapped his fingers and with a flash of blinding light, Dexter found himself back in his room. He looked up at the ceiling and took a breath.

Five trials left. For Cupid… he'd endure millions of trials. Because he loved her.

 **BN: IT'S SO CUTE DANGGIT! Kind of. It's actually kind of depressing when you think about it, but all in all, it is quite cute in its own way. Dexter is learning more and more about the Witchdoctor. Pay attention guys, because you might figure things out before Dexter does. Also, it might not seem like this trial was harder than the last one of Dexter's, but keep in mind Cupid was critically injured. You didn't see how bad condition she was in, but you can bet it was bad enough to leave permanent damage. She would have been hospitalized and could have easily died. In the last one, Dexter was allowed to help Cupid. This time, he had to sit and** _ **watch**_ **her die in front of him. Wouldn't that be so hard to watch? Just watch the one you love slipping away and you weren't allowed to help him/her? I just… I can't understand how freaking** _ **awful**_ **that would have been for Dexter if he didn't have an idea of how to save her without helping her.**

 **Things are heating up… and this is only trial two of seven! Cupid's next trial is next… which sin will she face? And how will it impact Dexpid's relationship? We'll just have to see.**

 **Like? Hate? Meh? Let me know via review!**


	6. Cupid: Trial 2- Pride

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Ben's Note of Benliness: There's nothing I love more than putting my favorite characters thrugh pain and suffering! *pauses and read his script* Hang on, that can't be right… I hate seeing people in pain, especially this close to Christmas. Here's a new chapter and another trial. Let's see how the Witchdoctor is going to punish Cupid today!**

 **KCL: To answer your question, Fanfiction does send notification emails. Just thought I let you know!**

 **Cupid: Trial 2- Pride**

Cupid took a deep breath. She was in her room, lying on her bed. She was still reeling from the pain of the last trial she had to endure. But, after breathing a few more times, she nodded to herself. This was for Dexter. She wouldn't do it for anyone else. She had to.

"Alright, go ahead," she said aloud. A hiss was heard inside her mind before a flash of white overtook her. She covered her eyes for a moment until the white vanished. Cupid uncovered her eyes and saw that the world had the greyish hue it had last time. She immediately noticed the note sitting next to her. It read as follows:

 _The fact you haven't quit yet ticks me off beyond imagining. Just let your boyfriend die. You don't deserve happiness. You deserve to rot, like you were intended to do. But if you_ insist _in continuing to try and save him, then I'm going to force you to face what you were supposed to become._

 _You like to pride yourself in making people happy and having them feel the love. You know how to make people happy forever after. The love you spread and share is what makes you proud to be a love goddess._

 _I'm stripping all of that away in this trial of pride._

 _In this trial, you are no longer a goddess of love. You're a goddess of_ hate _. You must destroy friendships, break up couples, and not be close to anyone, most of all Dexter. And guess what Cupid? You have to boast about how much you_ enjoy _hurting people. I won't end things if you don't._

 _Of course, if this is too much of you, you could always forfeit. Simply do something you'd normally do in the normal universe. I'll take that as a sign as you've quit and kill Dexter. Have fun._

 _The Witchdoctor_

Cupid read the note, a few tears dropping from her eyes. This person was cruel… and yet he knew exactly what to put in trials to make her really question her decision. However, Cupid shook her head. Dexter needed this. She had to do it for him.

A while later, she had made her first move. Her arrows no longer brought people in love, but made them despise each other. So, reluctantly, she shot every couple she could find with one of her darts. Hunter and Ashlynn. Murderous hatred. Alistair and Kitty. Depressed and confused. Daring and Cerise. Arrogant and cheating on Lizzie.

Cupid shot anyone she could with her hate arrows, but she knew it couldn't possibly be enough to appease the Witchdoctor. She had to take pride in the hate she was spreading. So, she did. Every time she shot an arrow, she'd claim that she did it. The dirty, evil looks she was given made her shiver.

She even did things 'out of spite' too. Later in the day, she passed by Blondie, who left some of her things on Cupid's side of the room. To spread the hate, Cupid, reluctantly, shoved her to the ground and laughed. Blondie looked up at her in fear, which made Cupid's heart twinge.

 _This isn't the real you,_ she said. _It's only the Witchdoctor trying to get to you. After this trial, you can get back to spreading love and not getting these spiteful looks from everyone._

The one constant she had during the day was that, despite Cupid being so evil, Dexter was still her boyfriend and still treated her with kindness. Cupid didn't fully understand _why_ this was though. She was quite obviously being her worst, and yet Dexter, out of everyone, seemed to still see Cupid as she was in real life. Cupid found this slightly off putting, but still felt warmed by this.

At dinner in the castleteria, Cupid figured she'd be done. She had done everything the Witchdoctor had asked, so she expected things were done. Right as Dexter left to do something, Cupid noticed a note suddenly enter her vision. Curious, she grabbed it and read over it. It read:

 _Trials are supposed to be challenging. I know this one has been getting under your skin, and I can tell you came close to giving up several times. But for some reason, you kept on enduring the evil feeling. Maybe because this is what you were_ supposed _to be. Maybe you secretly want to become this evil, wicked thing again, you just don't want to admit it._

 _That being said, you don't know what it truly means to be evil. You haven't done anything super hard. Yes, you're something you were never taught to be, but none of what you've done has truly hurt you. So, the next task you must do to complete the trial is simple. Something a baby could do in their sleep._

 _Break._

 _Dexter's._

 _Heart._

 _You pride yourself in being full of love and compassion. You love everyone and try to make things right with how others feel. I'm taking that away from you. Prove to me that your pride was misplaced, because if you don't, Dexter dies._

 _The Witchdoctor_

Cupid stared in horror at the note. She… she couldn't… Cupid was doing this to not break his heart! She wanted him to live, so she was suffering for him! He might not have been her Dexter… but it was still Dexter! She could never hurt him!

Dexter walked over and sat next to her. He saw that she was conflicted and had a look of horror on her face. "Is something wrong Cupid?" he asked. "You've been a little off today."

Cupid looked up at Dexter. It took all her strength not to cry. She forced herself not to cry. "Dexter Charming," she said, using all her strength to not let her voice betray her, "I hate you."

Dexter blinked in surprise. "What?" he asked, stunned.

"I hate you," she said. "I wish you were never born. I never in a million years loved you. I was just using you. I never cared, and I never will."

Dexter blinked in shock at what his girlfriend was saying to him. It broke Cupid so much to see him stare at her like that. She never wanted to she that look on his face in her life. And seeing it now…

"F-f-f-fine," he said, standing up. Cupid could tell he was on the verge of losing it. "I g-g-g-guess… see you…" Dexter walked off. Cupid kept her cool until he was well out of sight. Tears burst in her eyes and she sobbed loudly…

…only to appear shortly in the vast expanse of darkness. Tears streamed down her face as she turned to see the table of hearts. The indigo heart was still stabbed, but now the Purple Heart had joined it, a spear spiked through it. Cupid noticed a note in front of it. Sobbing, she grabbed it. It read:

 _Not so easy, being proud of what your heritage is. Imagine your parents never gave you up Cupid. That would be you today. Too bad, in my opinion. You would have been a killer heartbreaker. However, I bring focus to what I asked earlier: do you secretly enjoy being a heartbreaker? This was supposed to be you before. So did this pleasure you in ways bringing love to others never has? See you tomorrow Cupid._

Cupid sobbed some more, dropping the note as a flash of white engulfed her, sending her back to her normal world.

 **BN: Geez, Cupid is seriously getting thrown a bunch of trials that really get at it. Then again, I** _ **meant**_ **to have it like that. Cupid's trials are totally supposed to be worse than Dexter's. And keep in mind, five more are** _ **worse**_ **than this. Let's just hope Cupid can endure it.**

 **Next up, we'll have our second break. The characters kind of need a break, seeing as they both suffer in one way or another. I guess I'll see you next time!**

 **Like? Hate? Meh? Let me know via review!**


	7. Break 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Ben's Note of Sheer Awesome: Merry Christmas everyone! This is a part of my Christmas gifts to my fans who have supported me since day one. I figured since it's Christmas, I should post one of the breaks and have more of a lighthearted chapter. I mean, Dexter and Cupid deserve it, am I right? I hope you enjoy!**

 **Break 2**

"Hey Cupid, let me grab those for you."

Cupid jumped in surprise when she heard Dexter's voice. She took a breath and smiled as she turned to face him. He gave her a grin back and grabbed the books she had just taken out of her locker. She nodded in appreciation.

"Thanks… but you don't have to. My next class isn't very far," Cupid said.

"I know, but I figured I should do more for you," he said to her. "After all, you work so hard every day keeping everyone happy and full of love. I hardly do anything for anyone, especially you. The least I can do is carry my girlfriend's books."

Cupid blushed at being called girlfriend, but hid a wince. After the last trial… did she deserve the compliment of working hard to keep people in love? She was supposed to be the one who brought hate, according to the Witchdoctor. Did she even deserve the title of love goddess anymore?

"It's really fine Dexter," she said. "You help me a lot. You love me. I know you do, and I love you too. That's all I could ever ask from you."

Dexter gave her a smile, but it was weak. He knew that… but from what happened in the last trial, he felt as if he did too little. He kind of dodged the little things of their relationship. She needed more help than what she asked for. He knew that now.

"I just wanted to show you that I love you," he said. "Besides, I need to grow a little more muscle. I mean, look at me! I'm as weak as a dust mite, and I'm pretty sure that one of those tiny things could _still_ beat me in a wrestling match!"

Cupid gave a small giggle. "You aren't _that_ weak," she said.

"I don't know, I'm pretty feeble. Who knows, maybe I could even be beaten by something that doesn't even exist!" The couple laughed for a moment before falling silent. Cupid gestured for Dexter to follow her, which he did.

After a while, she said, "Dexter… is it wrong of me to not be proud of what I do?" she asked him. "I mean… I love spreading love to everyone. I love the smiles and the happiness that love brings… but is sharing it _wrong_? I just… I don't know if what I'm doing is _right_ …"

Dexter thought about this for a moment. "Let me ask you this," he said. "Do you enjoy sharing the love you have with the people around you?"

"Of course."

"Do they appreciate all the help and attention you bring to them?"

"Yes."

"Is there anything better to you than a smile from someone you just helped fix their problems for?"

Cupid blinked. "No. Well, ok, you kissing me, but other than that, no," she said.

"Then it's not wrong," he said. "Some people might disagree and tell you to stop spreading around the love, but you just don't have to listen. You are what you are. They can't tell you what you can and can't be. It's ok to pride yourself in your work so long as you don't act arrogant and boast about what you do."

Cupid blinked and smiled. "Thanks Dexy," she said. "That… means a lot more than you know."

"Anything for my girlfriend," he said. Cupid blushed again right as they reached her classroom. Dexter handed her books back. She smiled and walked inside, leaving Dexter alone.

He sighed with a happy smile and turned around. The smile faded when he noticed a note taped to the wall. He walked over and grabbed it. This is what it said:

 _You might be able to help Cupid with her troubles now, but think of back when you couldn't. She was helpless, and you could do nothing. Imagine if, someday, you won't be able to solve the issue she has? Be forewarned Dexter. There will come a day that Cupid will face a problem not even you can help her solve. And if nothing else crushes you… that will._

 _The Witchdoctor_

Dexter crumpled up the note and stuffed it in his pocket. "You sure do like to gloat," he said, pushing up his glasses. "But there's one thing you forgot to realize. I'm not just going to abandon Cupid, even if I can't solve her problems. Half the relationship is just being there for a support as they figure out their own problems. I'm not just going to abandon her Witchdoctor, so quit thinking I will."

Dexter began to walk down the hall when he heard a voice hiss inside the back of his head. "Whether you like it or not," he said, "what's stopping her from abandoning you?"

 **BN: Well, things sure are heating up! I love these break chapters. It gives a chance for Cupid and Dexter to work out the trial they faced before. I also love the interactions between the Witchdoctor and Dexter. It just makes me smile, even though the Witchdoctor is evil and wants to kill one of these two. Geez, I'm morbid.**

 **Again, Merry Christmas! Hopefully this chapter brought you a little joy this Christmas! Be sure to check all my other stories, as I've updated every single one this wonderful holiday. Merry Christmas!**

 **Like? Hate? Meh? Let me know via review!**


	8. Dexter: Trial 3-Greed

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Ben's Note of Sheer Awesome: Hey guys! Sorry it's taken me so long. Things have… come up. I've hit a case of writer's block and this one is** _ **really**_ **bad. Worse one I've had in years, actually. I'm going to try and stay on top of my stories… but I'm sorry in advance for late updates.**

 **KCL: I've noticed Kittystair growing as well, which is really awesome. I have a feeling you had something to do with it. I blame you. Not that it's a bad thing. :)**

 **Dexter: Trial 3- Greed**

Dexter sighed and took in a deep breath. "Alright Witch Doctor," he said. "Next trial."

With a bright flash of light Dexter had become accustomed to, Dexter blinked until he appeared back in his room, only with the grey tint. Unsurprisingly, Dexter immediately spotted the white note that the Witchdoctor had left for him. Dexter sighed, walked over and grabbed it. It read:

 _Dexter, Dexter, Dexter. You are someone to be reckoned with, I must say. I haven't been worried about my life for a long, long time. You're scaring me Dexter. And I don't sit still when I'm scared._

 _This next trial, again, will feature a choice. Although, I've been thinking for a while. This is going to be a reward trial. Consider it a payment for making me so entertained for the past two days._

 _This trial is that of the sin of greed. To fulfill this… I'm giving you everything you have ever wanted in your life. A destiny, love from your family, a future that you love… and Raven Queen. Everything that you thought would make you happy is yours._

 _All you have to do is destroy Cupid's love for you._

 _Not right away, of course. You can live with the things I've given you for a while. However, the choice of the matter is that you can swap with Cupid. Either get everything you've ever wanted… or have Cupid. Granted, if you chose Cupid, everything I would originally have given you would be immediately revoked._

 _If you chose Cupid, talk to her immediately after reading this note. If you chose the other side of things… find Raven. I'll know which one you chose._

 _The Witchdoctor_

Dexter reread the note several times. Really? That was the trial? Dexter chuckled, shaking his head. The Witchdoctor kept thinking he knew Dexter well enough. Dexter smirked. He was about to prove this guy wrong.

Cupid took a sip of water in the castleteria. She jumped when two arms wrapped around her waist. She giggled. "Dexter, what's that for?" she asked. Dexter slid around to face Cupid face to face. He smiled at her as he sat down.

"Just… saying hi to my girlfriend," Dexter shrugged. "What's up with you? Anything I should know?"

Cupid shrugged. "The usual," Cupid sighed. "Raven picking on me again."

Dexter' raised an eyebrow. That was unusual. Raven and Cupid were friends back in the real universe. Raven picking on Cupid? No way could that happen.

"What about?" he asked her.

Cupid sighed again. "You, like always. That I don't deserve you, that I'm useless and deserve to die. She didn't get physical this time, but she looked like she was pretty angry."

What? Raven wouldn't hurt a fly. Sure, her temper was out of control sometimes, but Dexter knew it was just her mother's blood. Apple typically calmed Raven down… but Raven never got mad over something as trivial as boys.

"If she bugs you again Cupid, let me know. That doesn't sound right to me," Dexter said. Cupid sighed and smiled at him.

"You're way too good for me sometimes," Cupid told him.

Dexter smiled at her. "Nah. I just think we were put together for a reason," he said. "And you know what? I'm glad we were."

Later that night, Dexter felt unnerved.

 _Something about this trial doesn't feel right,_ Dexter thought to himself. _The Witchdoctor said this trial was going to test my greed and gave me a choice. I chose the option he didn't expect me to choose. So how does this trial tie into greed?_

Dexter sighed and shook his head. He was about to shut his eyes to fall asleep when he caught notice of a white slip of paper on his door. Curious, he got up and walked over to read it. He paled as he read the words.

"Dang it Witchdoctor," he said and bolted out the door. The note fell form the door onto the floor. It read as follows:

 _Come on Dexter. I might have not known you_ before _we started this little game, but I certainly do know you now. I knew from the start you would chose Cupid. It just seemed to fit what I've been seeing from your behavior. I guess Raven and your destiny just didn't fit your tastes._

 _Greed, however, takes many faces. You don't have much. Heck, you have so very little. I'd go as far to say Cupid is the only valuable thing you have, in this universe or the original. While you might not have much… you value her over everything._

 _What would happen if I took the only thing that mattered to you away?_

 _The Witchdoctor_

Cupid smiled at herself in her mirror. Blondie was off with a few of her other friends and she was alone in her dorm. She didn't mind. It was nice to have the place to herself. She smiled again, her thoughts turning to Dexter.

"Oh, I love that boy," she giggled to herself. She looked at the mirror with a smile, adjusting her hair… only to freeze in fear.

Raven was standing against the wall, something flickering in her eyes.

"You think you're worth anything to him?" Raven spat. "You think he wants you? You're wrong Cupid. He doesn't really want you. You're just distracting him from who he really wants."

"R-R-R-R-Raven," Cupid said in fear, standing up and turning around. Green flames wrapped around Raven's fists. Cupid whimpered, seeing the hatred looming inside her.

"You're worth nothing Cupid," she said. "Any worth you have… is nothing compared to what I am."

Cupid screamed as Raven raised her hands and began to shoot the flames. However, the door flew off it's hinges and Dexter charged into the room. He threw himself in front of Cupid and screamed as the flames hit him.

"She's all I have!" he screamed in pain…

…only for the pain to subside and the area around him went dark. Dexter could still feel the burns on his skin, and he knew that the burn marks hadn't disappeared. The Witchdoctor stood in front of him, clapping with a smile. A third spear had impaled the left of his hip threw the yellow circle.

"My, my," the Witchdoctor said. "If I waited any longer, you'd be dead."

Dexter spat at him. "What was that all about?! You set me up so it was almost too late!" he screamed.

"I meant to do that," the Witchdoctor said. "Greed was never really apart of you, but I noticed you never really got what you desired. Cupid was something you didn't want, but became someone you needed. I was wanting to see your reaction if I took her away."

"You aren't taking her away," Dexter said, glaring intensely at the Witchdoctor. "You hear me? I won't let you lay a finger on her!"

"We'll see," the Witchdoctor said. "Ask a question. You earned it this time, seeing you have physical wounds."

"Is Cupid a demon?" Dexter asked, not bothering thinking about it.

The Witchdoctor raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Straight to the point, I see," he said. "Very well. Indeed, Cupid was born a demon. In fact, she still had demon blood running through her. Just because she's become a goddess does not mean she's pure like one."

"She's practically perfect," Dexter growled. "Don't you say any different!"

The Witchdoctor shrugged. "If you think she's perfect, I won't stop you from having that opinion," he said. "But let me tell you this Dexter. Cupid's not perfect. Why do you think she was adopted by Eros? It wasn't just love. Ask her about it sometime."

Before Dexter could ask the Witchdoctor anything else, a bright light blinded him. Dexter covered his eyes, and when the light subsided, he opened to find himself back in the normal universe. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

 _Eros adopted Cupid for another reason besides love,_ Dexter thought to himself. _What other reason would a god of love adopt his daughter?_

 **BN: What other reason indeed Dexter. I would love to tell you… but you can't hear me and Maddie isn't in this story. That, and the audience loves suspense, don't you audience? This trial was supposed to invert greed. Dexter isn't really that greedy. However, what does he have already that he really wants? He doesn't know his destiny, he didn't have Raven, and his brother treats him like dirt half the time. So, when he finally gets something he realizes he loves, the trial was this: did he love her enough to get there in time and throw himself in the way? How much did Cupid mean to him? As shown in the chapter… enough to gain a few scorch marks. Greed is tricky. It doesn't have to be something grand like stealing things you want. It could just be protecting the things you already have. I think, in this chapter, Dexter proved greed isn't always a bad thing.**

 **Next up is our trial with Cupid. I really want to hit hard on the differences between the interactions of the Witchdoctor with both Dexter and Cupid. There's something behind it that might make sense later on in the story.**

 **Like? Hate? Meh? Let me know via review!**


	9. Cupid: Trial 3-Gluttony

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the roll I am currently on with these fics.**

 **Ben's Note of Sheer Awesome: My EAH Benverse fics, anyway. TD and Loops… I'm sure my fans are hating on me right now. I don't know why, but these are so much easier to right. Maybe because I don't expect the word count to go over 3,000? Maybe, since my other fics require 5,000 words a chapter or more. It's just how I roll, I guess.**

 **Now, since I'm going to be harsh and pretty much give everyone a lecture about the moral of this chapter at the end, let's chillax and have me ask a random question. If any of you have played Final Fantasy X, can you give me suggestions on how to kill Evrae? Like, for reals, toughest boss ever! (At least since Seymore, who's cheesing OP.)**

 **KCL: You totes started Kittystair. Not that I'm complaining, I love that ship to death.**

 **Cupid: Trial 3-Gluttony**

Cupid took a deep breath. This was it. The third trial. Did she… did she want to go on? She debated this in her head that morning, thinking desperately of a way around going through more pain and suffering. But one thought of Dexter told her all she needed to know.

"I'm ready," Cupid said.

"Are you?" hissed a voice, but before Cupid could ask anything, a flash of white entered her vision. She covered her eyes and waited for the flash to subside. When it did so, the grey hue to her room had returned. Cupid was unsurprised to see a note sitting next to her once her eyes adjusting. She grabbed it and read:

 _Disgusting wouldn't be close to what I think of you Cupid. What you're doing is not your destiny. Love isn't you. It never was and never will be. I've decided that for this trial, I'll show you that love… is worse than hate._

 _This trial is that of gluttony. No one is in this universe: only you. Head down to the castleteria and await further instruction. I'd rather you didn't and rot forever in that room… but what choice do I have than let you_ try _to succeed?_

 _The Witchdoctor_

Cupid cocked her head curiously. How was the Witchdoctor going to show her love was worse than hate… through _gluttony_? Greed, lust, envy, all of those would make sense to her… but gluttony? Cupid shrugged and headed for the castleteria.

Guess she'd have to find out.

When Cupid got to the castleteria, she wasn't expecting tables packed with food. Several different types were packed onto the tables. She saw turkey, chips, potatoes (with an Idaho stamp, wherever that was) ice cream, and who knows what else.

Sitting on one table was a white note. Knowing it was the Witchdoctor, Cupid walked over and grabbed it. She opened it up and it read:

 _You might initially think I'm being nice. Generous. No, I'm not. Every one of these foods is connected to thought processes of women in dimensions you don't even know. They signify what love has done to them. Those emotions are buried inside each piece of food you see on each and every table._

 _You're going to eat every last scrap._

 _You think you know love Cupid? You don't know the pain and suffering it brings to everyone. You think hate is eivl? Ha. Hate has destroyed thousands… love has destroyed billions. Want to prove me wrong? Eat something. You'll change your mind._

 _The Witchdoctor_

Cupid looked up at the humongous ammounts of food. _It's ok_ , she thought. _It's just food. I'm a future goddess. I can eat this amount and not take any lasting physical damage._

Looking around, Cupid decided to eat a can of Pringles. She figured it was closest and they tasted pretty good. She opened the can and grabbed a Pringle. Without another thought, she tossed it in her mouth.

The emotions came immediately.

 _Yeah, eat those Pringles! You're already fat as you are now! Might as well be Miss Chubs!_

 _Who would ever love someone as fat as you?_

 _Those things won't make you any skinnier Fatty!_

 _No one will love you. Ever._

Cupid nearly spat out the chip. What in Ever After was that? It wasn't something she was used to feeling when eating Pringles. Where did those emotions come from.

Then, after a moment of thinking, Cupid's eyes went to the note. "The emotions… of girls…" she said in realization. This wasn't just about her eating the food. It was about feeling the pain love had caused to _make_ the girls eat the food. Every last piece of food in this room… would make Cupid feel emotional pain.

"The world… what happened to you?" Cupid blinked, tears falling from her eyes.

Cupid, forcing herself, had made her way around the castleteria, stuffing the food reluctantly down her throat. She nearly retched when has ate a sandwich.

 _You can throw it up later. He won't notice any difference in how you look. Just don't eat too much and get rid of hit. He won't notice._

Cupid was crying a majority of the time as she ate. Emotions upon emotions were placed upon her, all of which were tearing her apart. All this pain… over love? She couldn't possibly understand… why. Why was this happened? She knew she couldn't get to everyone…

The tears fell harder when she eat some steak. The emotions came… but she recognized the voice. Someone who she never thought she'd hear.

 _Why would he love me? He's a Royal… he can have any girl he wants. Not some low-life who can't even tell him who I really am…_

Cerise.

After that, Cupid didn't know why she kept going. Maybe deep in her mind she knew she was doing this for Dexter. But she knew the real reason. She wanted to see how bad these would get. And, when she got to the second to last thing, a pan of lemon squares, she knew how bad it was.

 _This is my last meal. After this… I'm going to do it. I'm going to kill myself. No one in this world… knows. Or cares. Why stick around? Might as well… kill myself. Lemon squares… you have been my only friend. I'm sorry._

Cupid screamed loudly, the tears streaming like rivers. "I get it! Love can be terrible! It can destroy emotions and make us do things we regret! But sometimes it's _good_! It can give us so much need and desire! It isn't all evil!"

Cupid wiped a few tears away and noticed a note had appeared in front of her. She grabbed it and unfolded it. It was short, but the message was clear.

 _You say that now. Eat the chocolates Cupid. I dare you to repeat that after you eat them._

 _The Witchdoctor_

Hesitantly, Cupid walked over to the chocolates. One by one, she popped them in her mouth. She didn't feel the emotions until the last chocolate. She dropped it in her mouth, and the emotions hit. But the voice was different than the others.

It was hers.

 _Dexter loves Raven… he'll never love me… Maybe… no… just let them love each other… but I love him so much… why is this so hard? I love you Dexter… but can I live with you not loving me? I guess I have to…_

Cupid sobbed loudly as the area around her went dark. She barely was able to notice the table of hearts. The orange heart had been stabbed and a note rested before it. She grabbed it, tears spilling onto it. It read:

 _You still think love is great Cupid? It hurt not only billions of young women, but you as well. Hate wouldn't do something like that. You should have been the goddess of hate. Unfortunately… you're the goddess of love. The goddess of the emotion that kills more than hate. How does it feel to live with guilt like that?_

 _The Witchdoctor_

Cupid didn't bother to cover her eyes as the white flash occurred. The tears already had that covered for her.

 **BN: The fact that this is written from experience doesn't help soften this chapter's cruel reality. Love is great. I'm a hapless romantic. Thing is, in real life, people go** _ **overboard**_ **. Men, I'm going to talk to you for a moment. I know not all girls are like this, but this is the general thing: everything you say** _ **hurts them more than you could ever cheesing imagine**_ **. You may 'love' them, but how are you treating them? You're making them think they're people they aren't and forcing them to sink into low depressions and not think they're pretty. It's your job to** _ **protect them**_ **from this. It sickens me that more often than not, you guys aren't smart enough to realize that suicide in teenage women is probably more often than not your fault.**

 **Girls, let's talk to you now. I don't know what you girls look like. I don't, I'm going to be completely honest, I'm no stalker. I'm saying this to every girl who reads this fic: you are pretty. You aren't fat. You aren't ugly. You are pretty in your own way. I had a friend not too long ago who was anorexic. Why? Because she wasn't skinny enough for this one guy. Girls…** _ **you don't have to change for guys!**_ **You don't have to** _ **risk your lives**_ **to be with someone. If they don't love you for who you are right now…** _ **then they aren't your soul mate!**_ **I've lost way too many friends because of that… I wanted this chapter to signify this message.**

 **I've talked a lot about my best friend. The lemon squares… those were hers. She was going through so much a few years ago… she thought no one loved her. She's fine now, but… guys, love is important. We need connections with friends, family, and our boy/girlfriends. It** _ **disgusts**_ **me that girls go off the deep end because of something a guy says or no one seems to care.**

 **Now I'm not saying all girls are like this and all guys are evil. I'm not saying that. I'm just trying to prove a point of something I've seen so many times I don't dare try to count them.**

 **As for Cupid… I feel as though this could break her. As the Witchdoctor is** _ **trying**_ **to do that, it makes sense. Even** _ **she**_ **suffered because of something she stands for. Of course, with the next break, Dexter might be able to help her out. But we'll just have to wait and see.**

 **I want to apologize for ranting. This is a touchy subject that I thought someone needed to hear today. Love is great guys. Just know… it's supposed to be about being you. If someone can't see that… ask yourself: is that love? Sorry again. I'll see you all in the next chapter.**

 **Like? Hate? Meh? Let me know via review.**


	10. Break 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Ben's Note of Sheer Awesome: The previous two breaks have been those that allow Cupid and Dexter to recover. This one might be a little different than the previous two, as both characters suffered greater, Dexter physically and Cupid emotionally. What do I mean? Read and find out!**

 **Break 3**

"What's up Cupid?" Dexter asked her in the castleteria.

Cupid jumped in surprise. She didn't expect Dexter to speak to her. She was currently just picking at her food, unable to bring herself to eat it. After eating all that food and feeling all those girl's pain…

"I'm… not hungry," she said.

Dexter shrugged with a smile. He winced, rubbing his shoulder. Cupid had noticed Dexter do that a lot throughout the day. He was fine yesterday…

Dexter noticed Cupid looking at him funny. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked her.

"Is something wrong with your shoulder?" Cupid asked. "You seem… in pain."

Dexter tensed. _Crap… I knew she was going to ask me that eventually,_ he thought to himself. _How do I tell her without revealing the Witchdoctor's presence?_ "The shower's water came out steaming hot," Dexter finally decided to go with. "It left a few second degree burns on my back and shoulder."

Cupid nodded worriedly, signaling to Dexter that she bought it. "You sure you're going to be ok?" she asked him. "That doesn't sound like it feels very good."

"I'll live," Dexter answered. Cupid nodded and they both fell into silence again. After a few moments, Dexter asked, "Hey Cupid? This is going to sound weird… but why did Eros adopt you?"

Cupid looked up at Dexter curiously. "I was orphaned when I was little," she said. "Eros found me on the streets. He took pity on me and loved me. Not too long after that he adopted me."

Dexter nodded, but still looked puzzled. "Was there another reason?" he asked her.

"What's this about Dexter? Eros loved me the moment he saw me," Cupid said, growing edgy at the subject. "Are you trying to say he _didn't_ love me? That he adopted me for some other gain?"

"No, not at all. I was just wondering…"

"Well _don't_ ," Cupid said angrily. "You think you know how love works? You _don't_ Dexter!" Cupid angrily stood up and stomped off. Dexter looked after her confused about what had just happened. However, his confusion didn't last long as a note appeared on the seat next to him. He grabbed it and read:

 _You think you know Cupid. Obviously she's hiding something about her adoption from you. Or… does she even really know the real reason? You really think I'd let you find out so easily? Geez, you must think I'm not serious about killing Cupid if you fail._

 _Don't mistake me: Cupid will die Dexter. This isn't a joke. Well, it's funny to me. But I doubt you'll be laughing when she dies because of you._

 _The Witchdoctor_

Dexter grit his teeth. _He tricked me on purpose,_ Dexter thought. _The only way I'm going to figure out why Eros adopted Cupid is if I ask the Witchdoctor. And this isn't a joke. I know that. No joke could be this sick._

Dexter stood up and headed for the door. As he reached it though, he could have sworn he heard someone say, "Jokes are meant to be funny. This? This is hilarious!"

Cupid reached her dorm and slammed the door shut. It took her a few seconds before falling to the floor and completely broke down. "I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I didn't mean to… I just…"

Through her tears she spotted a note. Cupid flipped it open but didn't bother to read it just then. She already knew the gist of what it said. When she did read it, she sobbed louder.

 _You're a #$% idiot for not facing the truth. You know it. You're parents never loved you either. Not even the ones that adopted you. Dexter all but questioned it just now. It's no wonder they hated you though. You're a worthless piece of #$%._

 _Then again, hate is what you were supposed to be. You tried being the goddess of love. No wonder you're useless and unloved. You suck because you aren't who you were supposed to be. Makes you wonder what would happen if you were the goddess of hate._

 _The Witchdoctor_

Cupid crumpled up the note weakly. _This is for Dexter_ , she thought. _For Dexter. I love him. I might have supposed to have been the goddess of hate… but I love Dexter too much to change that now._

"Shame. And here I thought you had a brain," a voice said. Cupid ignored it. Whatever it was, it didn't exist anyway. Cupid had locked the door. No one was in the room but her.

 **BN: Then how does the Witchdoctor send you to the other world? Hmm? I feel as though the plot is thickening more and more. Cupid's breaking down and Dexter keeps getting more questions. Too bad he can only have one answered after a trial, huh? The next chapter will have another one of Dexter's trials, so stay tuned!**

 **Like? Hate? Meh? Let me know via review!**


	11. Dexter: Trial 4-Pride

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the Witchdoctor.**

 **Ben's Note of Sheer Awesome: Some of you might be annoyed with me over a few things. I understand that, and I apologize for reasons you don't quite understand yet. I do everything for a reason, and I'm sorry if that annoys or frustrates you. Aside from that, yay! Been a while since I wrote a chapter of this, huh? I hope you guys enjoy it!**

 **Dexter: Trial 4-Pride**

Dexter was grumbling to himself, lying on his bed. He had wrapped up his burns and applied ointment to it, cooling it down a little bit. Dexter could still feel the burns through the bandages, but he couldn't let that stop him. He had a girlfriend to save.

"Come on Witchdoctor. Give me something _hard_ this time," Dexter grumbled.

The area around Dexter turned grey after a flash of bright light. Dexter blinked and was not surprised in the slightest when he saw a note on his dorm door. Dexter, without complaint, quickly got out of his bed and grabbed the note. He read it over, nodding. This is what it read:

 _Oh Dexter. Bored, are we? Very well then. If you want a difficult trial… who am I to deny you pain and suffering? Very well Dexter. Prepare for the hardest trial you've yet to face._

 _You've never really had a lot of dignity, have you? Everything you do is looked down upon in shame. The only thing you've ever truly done to be proud of is be with Cupid. And even then… is she even worth being proud over?_

 _This trial is of pride, and like the others, you have a choice. You pride yourself in being there for Cupid. So, for this trial… be there for Cupid. That's right. I'm telling you to go be with Cupid. Or… you can chose to help others so you can be proud of yourself. Sounds easy… but deny those who wish to make you proud… and there will be consequences. Also, if you do not reach Cupid within an hour and do not accept any of the deals… real Cupid dies._

 _Tick tock Dexter. Get going._

 _Witchdoctor_

"You really need to learn when I'm sarcastic," Dexter grumbled and quickly exited the room. He made a map inside his head to the quickest way to Cupid's dorm room. He nodded to himself and started to run down the hallway…

…only to be stopped by Daring, who flashed him a smile as he approached Dexter, girls flocking behind him. "Brother," Daring said. "I have a task for you. Please take one of these fair maidens for me so that I may have less people to fit in the elevator. You _know_ how cramped it normally gets."

"Sorry Daring, but I have something more important to do!" Dexter said, desperately trying to find a way past all the fangirls.

Daring raised an eyebrow. "You deny my offer of taking one of these maidens?" Daring asked him.

"Yes, now get them to move!"

Daring looked at all his fangirls. "You heard him girls," Daring said. "Move."

The fangirls did just that… they all rushed at Dexter. The boy groaned as they all trampled over him, crushing him beneath their feet. Dexter grit his teeth as he was trampled, every last girl walking over him at least once. When the final girl left, she kicked him in the head, making him groan.

"Should have listened to me Dexter," Daring shrugged, walking away. "I'm so disappointed in you."

Dexter grit his teeth more as he wobbled to his feet. He continued forward, hobbling. The girls had definitely messed his balance up, so he wasn't going as nearly as fast as he wanted to. But he had to get to Cupid's dorm. He had to.

Unfortunately, fate did not see it that way. Before Dexter could hobble any further, Humphrey ran into him. Humphrey grumbled something for a moment before seeing that it was Dexter. "Oh, hey, I was just looking for you!" Humphrey said. "I have a question on the MirriorNetwork I need you to help me solve."

"Sorry Humphrey, I don't have time."

"But it will only take a second!"

"Sorry, no time!"

Humphrey scowled. He tapped a few things on his MirrorPhone and then stabbed it into Dexter side. Dexter yelled as his entire body felt an electric discharge into his body. He fell to his knees, gasping in the pain he felt. "Not even helping your friend," Humphrey grumbled. "I'm disappointed in you."

Dexter groaned as Humphrey left him. "So that's what you meant by consequence," Dexter grumbled. "You didn't mean a punishment mentally or emotionally. You meant _physically_. Your making me weaker and weaker… trying to prevent me from getting to Cupid. Well guess what? I'm. Not. Giving. Up."

Dexter got to his feet, still in pain from the fangirls and electric shock. Dexter made his way forward, sure and positive he could make it to Cupid's dorm. And surprisingly enough, he did without any more trouble. He sighed in relief as he opened the door and walked inside.

"Cupid?" Dexter called.

"Oh, you literally just missed her!" Blondie said, smiling at Dexter as he came in. "But hey, I have a favor for you! Do you mind running these papers to Headmaster's Grimm's office? They're suggestions for new segments of my blog!"

"Sorry Blondie, I'd love to help, but I need to get to Cupid. Where is she?" Dexter asked.

"Just help me and I'll tell you."

"No! I need to get to her now!"

Blondie scowled and grabbed her stack of papers. She tossed them all at Dexter angrily. For some reason, each of the papers gave Dexter a paper cut across his entire body. Dexter screamed in agony as each of the papers sliced him all across his body. He fell to his knees again, breathing painfully.

"She's in her studio," Blondie grumbled. "I thought you were good for her. I'm disappointed in you."

Blondie left her dorm and Dexter shakily got to his feet. He turned around and left the dorm, carefully making his way to Cupid's studio. Dexter knew he was going to run into someone else, but he didn't want to think about what pain was ahead. He just wanted to reach Cupid's studio and end this…

"Dexter!" someone called to him.

"I can't help you!" Dexter yelled, throwing a glance behind him. It was Raven, holding Nevermore in her hands. Dexter paled as Raven scowled.

"Wow. And I thought we were friends," Raven grumbled. "I'm so disappointed in you. Nevermore… burn him." Nevermore nodded and let out a giant gust of fire, enveloping Dexter in flames. Dexter screamed, running from the fire as fast as he could. He managed to get away, but the burns from before were now burned again. Dexter bit his lip, looking forward.

Cupid's studio was close, he could see it. Dexter forced himself forward. He knew for a fact that time was almost up. He didn't know how he knew, but he knew he knew. Dexter continued to press forward, so close to the door.

"Dear sir!" came a voice, stepping in front of him. The White Knight (or Darling, as she was better known) was standing in front of him, holding a sword. "Mind helping me with some sword practice?"

Dexter winced. "I can't…" he said.

"Well then… perish mortal," the White Knight said, leveling her sword and charged forward. Dexter hissed in pain and grasped his side, a large gash from the sword prominent in his side. "I'm disappointed," the White Knight said.

"Yeah, so are a lot of people," Dexter groaned, forcing himself to take a few more steps. The door to Cupid's studio was in front of him. A few more steps… turn the knob…

"Cupid?" Dexter called desperately.

"No, but congrats anyway," came a voice.

Dexter found himself completely surrounded in darkness. Dexter could still feel the burns, cuts, and the wound in his side, although his clothes had been repaired. Dexter grit his teeth angrily, glaring at the Witchdoctor. "I almost got to her!" Dexter said. "You can't kill her! You can't!"

"Lucky for you… I didn't," the Witchdoctor chuckled. "You indeed got to her in time, hence this fourth spear." Looking closely, Dexter realized that the Witchdoctor was speaking the truth. A spear had pierced the other side of his hip, right through the purple circle. "You now have me scared for my life. And I don't like being scared."

"Cut the crap and let's get down to it," Dexter grumbled. "I get a question, right?"

"Indeed… but you could learn some patience."

"These are the sins, not the virtues."

The Witchdoctor chuckled, smirking. "You are right indeed," the Witchdoctor said. "Very well. Ask your question."

"Why did Eros adopt Cupid?"

"I figured this would be your next question. Therefore, I've already come up with my response," the Witchdoctor said. "I lost a bet."

Silence. Dexter waited for more of an explanation, but there was none. He frowned. "That's it? You lost a bet?"

"Yes. I lost a bet. Cupid was adopted because I lost a bet. The reason Eros adopted Cupid was, not for love, but because he won her. Sure, love _may_ have been involved somewhere in there… but the only reason he got custody over her was because _I lost_."

"Cupid said she was orphaned when she was little," Dexter said.

"Of course she was. She's a demon, remember? All demon children are orphaned. When they find who they are supposed to be… the parents claims them as their own," the Witchdoctor said. "That's enough for now. See you tomorrow Dexter."

With a bright flash of light, Dexter appeared back on his bed. Dexter groaned in pain, his injuries still present on him. Dexter looked over and saw a picture of him and Cupid smiling together. Dexter nodded to himself, grunting in pain.

"I'll suffer all you want," Dexter said. "Only for her."

 **BN: More plot, more Dexter, more pain, more cheesecake. Pride wasn't really something Dexter actually had. He's always had opportunities to increase his pride, but he somehow screws it up in some instances. Dexter's trial was trying to get to him emotionally, showing that no one had any pride in him. However, Dexter pushed through that to reach Cupid, who would always be proud of him. This trial was a bit difficult for me to write, mostly because I think I used pride loosely in this one.**

 **Like? Hate? Meh? Let me know via review!**


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